Switch operator and cover interlock means



Oct. 24, 1950 w ROBERTSON 2,527,451

SWITCH OPERATOR AND COVER INTERLOCK MEANS Filed Jan. 21, 1948 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 H 18 H INVENTOR.

Oct. 24, 1950 w. ROBERTSON 2,527,451

SWITCH OPERATOR AND COVER INTERLQCK MEANS Filed Jan. 21, 1948 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 III III VII/I VIII/III} IIII 11/ [ll/l INVENTOR.

Oct. 24, 1950 w ROBERTSON swucu OPERATOR AND COVER INTERLOCK MEANS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Jan. 21, 1948 INVEN TOR.

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Patented Oct. 24, 1950 SWITCH OPERATOR AND COVER INTERLOCK MEANS William Robertson, Detroit, Mich., assignor to Bull Dog Electric Products Company, Detroit,

Mich.

Application January 21, 1948, Serial No. 3,592

3 Claims. (Cl. 200-50) This application discloses a switch and particularly an operating mechanism for a switch.

For an understanding of the switch of this application, reference should be had to the appended drawings which show a switch of the invention.

Figure 1 is a front view of a doublecover, double-branch switch showing one cover closed and the other cover open to expose the interior. Figure 2 is a side view of the device of Figure 1, parts being cut away for purposes of clarity.

Figure 3 is a section as if on line 3-3 of Figure 1. Figure 4 shows operating mechanism of the switch.

Figures 5-6 are other views of that mechanism.

Referring to the drawings, it will be seen-that ,1

these show a double-branch switching unit comprising a sheet metal box It! having an open front, top and bottom side walls II and 12, a back wall 14, and end walls l5 and I6. Hingedly connected to the front edges I1 of the end walls l5 and I6 are swing covers 20, adapted to be swung to close or expose the open front of the box. Each of these covers journals, at 2 I, a handle 22 having a portion projecting through the cover to provide an operating lug 24 which is within the box when the cover is swung shut. The operating lug will move in a plane parallel to the back of the box and in a path generally perpendicular to the sides H and I2 and generally parallel to the ends I5 and I6 when the handles 22 are swung ontheir journals 2| to closed and open position, identified by the words On and Off" stamped on the cover.

Not shown, but adapted to be mounted on the back M of the box in each half of the doublebranch unit are fuse clips adapted to be connected by cartridge fuses, not shown. The fuse clips near the center of the box are provided with stationary contacts or prongs, spaced from other stationary contacts or prongs, connected to line terminals. Movable contact heads enclosing center contacts, not shown, for bridging the stationary contacts, may be moved towards and away from the back of the box for switching purposes. (See U. S. Patent No. 2,191,615 of February 27, 1940, and U. S. Patent No. 2,287,676 of June 23, 1942, both to William H, Frank et a1.) Movement of the heads is effected by bails 31 connected to the heads at the fronts thereof, through front hooks fastened to the heads. The ends of the bails 31 are journalled by rivets 39 to the top and bottom sides of the box.

For establishing an operating connection between the handle lugs 24 of the two handles and the bails 31 for the two sets of heads, operating mechanisms have been provided and the same will now be described.

Extending across the center of the box, from top side to bottom side thereof, parallel to the ends of the box, is a central barrier 48 comprising two sub-assemblies 49, one for each of the bails 31. Each sub-assembly comprises a mounting plate 50 having end lugs 51 fitting into notches on the top and bottom sides of the box, whereby the mounting plate may be mounted in such sides of the box to occupy its intended position. Each mounting plate has a front flange 52 provided with a notch 53 through which a lug 24 of the handle may be entered so that the lug can seat itself in a socket 54 of a cam plate 55, journalled at 56 on the mounting plate 50. The latter has a slot 51 communicating with the opening provided by the notch 53, affording clearance for movement of the handle lug 24 when such handle lug has been moved through the notch 53 of the mounting plate 50 and into the socket 54 of the cam plate which establishes an operating connection between the handle lug 24 and the cam plate 55.

For establishing an operating connection between the cam plate 55 and the bail 31, the latter is provided with a pin or projection 60 adapted to project through a slot 6| of the mounting plate so as to seat itself within a socket 62 of the cam plate.

The slots 51 and 6| are perpendicular to each other, for the paths of movement of the lug 24 and bail part 60 are perpendicular to each other. The sockets 54 and 62 are apart on the cam plate for the same reason.

Over-center spring arrangements, referenced generally 64, are provided for imparting snap action to the cam plates and thus to the bails and the heads,

Each mounting plate 50 may be considered as an end wall of the box because, in effect, it forms an end wall for the branch which it serves. The two mounting plates together provide an effective reinforcement for the box, strengthening it at the center by bridging the top and bottom sides. They also provide a barrier between the two branches, as well as enclosures for the cam plates and the springs 64, shielding the fuse-containing sections of the box from operating mechanism parts which are on the ends, or behind the ends of the box.

The mounting plates may also be provided with spring catches, not shown, for co-operating with the covers 20 for releasably latching them in place when they are swung shut. The springcatch details, however, are not shown because such details form no part of the present invention.

It is noted that parts 5L 5 534 form a unitary sub-assembly which can be separately formed and pie-assembled and which can then be assembled with respect to the box It as a unit, and this promotes economy of manufacture.

Now having described the switch operating mechanism herein disclosed, reference should be had to the claims which follow.

I claim:

1. In combination, a switch box having opposed parallel sides, a bail perpendicular to and connecting them, and having a transverse lug, and a unitary subassembly comprising a flat mounting plate perpendicular to and connecting said sides and thus parallel to said ball and whose ends engage and are connected to the box sides, a flat cam plate lying along side the mounting plate and pivoted thereon on an axis perpendicular to both of them, and an over-center coil spring lying along side both plates and connecting them, said cam plate and said spring being perpendicular to said sides and thus parallel to said bail, said cam plate having relatively transverse slots, one of which opens to an edge of said cam plate for detachably receiving a switch handle, and the other of which receives the bail lug, said switch having a hinged cover and a switch handle pivoted thereto, and having a part adapted to be received in the edge opening slot of said cam plate when the cover is closed.

2. In combination, a switch box having opposed parallel sides, a bail perpendicular to and connecting them, and having a transverse lug, and a unitary subassembly comprising a flat mounting plate perpendicular to and connecting said sides and thus parallel to said ball and whose ends engage and are connected to the box sides, a flat cam plate lying along side the mounting plate and pivoted thereon on an axis perpendicular to both of them, and an over-center coil spring lying along side both plates and connecting them, said cam plate and said spring being perpendicular to said sides and thus parallel to said bail, said cam plate having relatively transverse slots, one of which opens to an edge of said cam plate for detachably receiving a switch handle, and the other of which receives the bail lug, said switch having a hinged cover and a switch handle pivoted thereto, and having a part adapted to be received in the edge opening slot of said cam plate when the cover is closed, said mounting plate having a flange overlying the edge of the cam plate, said flange and the mounting plate proper having openings through which access is afforded to the cam plate slots, the mounting plate with its flange at least partially enclosing the cam plate.

3. In combination, a switch box having opposed parallel sides, bails perpendicular to and connecting them and having transverse lugs, and two subassemblies, each comprising a flat mounting plate perpendicular to and connecting said sides and thus parallel to the adjacent bail, and whose ends engage and are connected to the box sides, a flat cam plate lying along side the mounting plate and pivoted thereon on an axis perpendicular to both of them, and an over-center coil spring lying along side both plates and connecting them, said cam plate and said spring being perpendicular to said sides and thus parallel to said bail, said cam plate having relatively transverse slots, one of which opens to an edge of said cam plate for detachably receiving a switch handle, and the other of which receives a bail lug, said switch having two hinged covers, each having a switch handle pivoted thereto provided with a part adapted to be received in the edge opening slot of a cam plate when such cover is closed, each said mounting plate having a flange overlying the edge of the adjacent cam plate, said flange and said mounting plate proper having openings through which access is afforded to the adjacent cam plate slots, the mounting plate with its flange at least partially enclosing the adjacent cam plate and the spring, the two flanges extending towards each other so that they plus the two mounting plates proper simulate a substantially U-shaped housing enclosing the cam plates and springs between them.

WILLIAM ROBERTSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,154,236 Frank Apr. 11, 1939 2,247,231 Getchell June 24, 1941 

